HB 643: payment bond threshold jumps from $25,000 to $100,000

Caption

relating to the requirement for payment bonds from certain public work contractors.

Summary

Applies to state agencies, counties and school districts, not cities.

This bill raises the contract size at which state agencies, counties, school districts and other non-city governments must make a prime contractor post a payment bond, from $25,000 to $100,000. It touches public work contractors, the subcontractors and suppliers who rely on payment bonds to get paid, and the governments that hire them, while cities and certain joint airport boards keep their existing $50,000 threshold. Starting with contracts first put out for bid on or after September 1, 2025, public work contracts between $25,000 and $100,000 with those non-city governments will no longer need a payment bond.

Labels

Labels: ZOMBIE BILL. Died 2 times: 88R HB 857 (Died in committee) and this bill (Did not pass). Checked against 88R only.BACK FROM THE DEAD. Same text as a bill filed before that died: 88R HB 857 (Died in committee). Filed in 2 sessions, counting this one. Checked against 88R only.TRY NO. 2. Filed in 2 sessions: 88R and 89R. Checked against 88R only.GOT HALFWAY. Passed the House on Apr 17, 2025. Died in the Senate: received, never referred to a committee.

Receipt

The receipt

89R-HB643 · 2024-11-12

SOLD BY

Rep. Barbara Gervin-HawkinsDHouse 120

ITEM

relating to the requirement for payment bonds from certain public work contractors.

WHAT IT DOES

Applies to state agencies, counties and school districts, not cities.

This bill raises the contract size at which state agencies, counties, school districts and other non-city governments must make a prime contractor post a payment bond, from $25,000 to $100,000. It touches public work contractors, the subcontractors and suppliers who rely on payment bonds to get paid, and the governments that hire them, while cities and certain joint airport boards keep their existing $50,000 threshold. Starting with contracts first put out for bid on or after September 1, 2025, public work contracts between $25,000 and $100,000 with those non-city governments will no longer need a payment bond.

CHARGES

[ ] NONE FOUND

TOTAL

No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

LBB estimate · fiscal note version I · source

Sources

Fiscal note · version I · March 25, 2025

No first-year general revenue figure available here.

LBB published estimates · flow over the stated periods.

Source snapshot 2026-10-19, Central time.

HISTORY

Nov 12, 2024Filed
Mar 4, 2025Read first time
Mar 4, 2025Referred to Delivery of Government Efficiency
Mar 26, 2025Scheduled for public hearing on . . .
Mar 26, 2025Considered in public hearing
Mar 26, 2025Testimony taken/registration(s) recorded in committee
Mar 26, 2025Left pending in committee
Mar 27, 2025Considered in formal meeting
Mar 27, 2025Reported favorably w/o amendment(s)
Apr 1, 2025Comte report filed with Committee Coordinator
Apr 1, 2025Committee report distributed
Apr 2, 2025Committee report sent to Calendars
Apr 14, 2025Considered in Calendars
Apr 16, 2025Placed on General State Calendar
Apr 17, 2025Read 2nd time
Apr 17, 2025Passed to engrossment
Apr 17, 2025Record vote RV#293
Apr 17, 2025Statement(s) of vote recorded in Journal
Apr 17, 2025Read 3rd time
Apr 17, 2025Passed
Apr 17, 2025Record vote RV#311
Apr 17, 2025Statement(s) of vote recorded in Journal
Apr 17, 2025Reported engrossed
Apr 22, 2025Received from the House

FILED UNDER

No verified beat found.

SIGNED FOR BY

House · 98 yea · 47 nay

Sources

House: Final passage · Apr 17, 2025. Journal. Published stock for this vote. Snapshot 2026-10-19, Central time.

All floor motions and other positions below.

No flags

THANK YOU FOR CHECKING THE RECEIPT

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

Barbara Gervin-Hawkins

Donors

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC$36K Texas Sands PAC$34K Legacy 44$17K

Not tied to this bill.

Sources

The author's campaign account only. Own money and internal transfers are separate on the member page.

Derived itemized flow · Aug 6, 2024 to Feb 21, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC$36,000.00

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC

$36,000.00

Cash: $36,000.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $36,000.00

Also funds 137 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jul 24, 2024 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team

Sources

Derived itemized flow · Sep 20, 2024 to Feb 21, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Report IDs: 100981675, 101026167, 101035798, 101038806.

Texas Sands PAC$34,000.00

Texas Sands PAC

$34,000.00

Cash: $34,000.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $34,000.00

Also funds 121 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jul 3, 2024 to Oct 24, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team

Sources

Derived itemized flow · Oct 1, 2024 to Feb 12, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Report IDs: 100981675, 101038806.

Legacy 44$17,000.00

Legacy 44

$17,000.00

Cash: $1,000.00
Paid by others: $16,000.00
Total: $17,000.00

digital $16,000.00

Also funds 33 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Oct 21, 2024 to Oct 20, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team

Sources

Derived itemized flow · Nov 18, 2024 to Feb 20, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Report IDs: 100981675, 101038806.

Money

Missing data does not establish zero giving. Display amounts are rounded.

×

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC

$36,000.00

Cash: $36,000.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $36,000.00

Also funds 137 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jul 24, 2024 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team

Sources

Derived itemized flow · Sep 20, 2024 to Feb 21, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Report IDs: 100981675, 101026167, 101035798, 101038806.

×

Texas Sands PAC

$34,000.00

Cash: $34,000.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $34,000.00

Also funds 121 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jul 3, 2024 to Oct 24, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team

Sources

Derived itemized flow · Oct 1, 2024 to Feb 12, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Report IDs: 100981675, 101038806.

×

Legacy 44

$17,000.00

Cash: $1,000.00
Paid by others: $16,000.00
Total: $17,000.00

digital $16,000.00

Also funds 33 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Oct 21, 2024 to Oct 20, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team

Sources

Derived itemized flow · Nov 18, 2024 to Feb 20, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Report IDs: 100981675, 101038806.

Votes2

House Apr 17, 2025

Yea: 98
Nay: 47
Present, not voting: 1
Absent: 2
Excused: 2

Names

Named positions matched to lawmakers. See the journal for unmatched names.

House journal

Sources

Record 311

HB 643 was passed by (Record 311): 98 Yeas, 47 Nays, 1 Present, not voting.

Published stock of positions for this vote, except where marked derived.

Yea: 98 (published)
Nay: 47 (published)
Present, not voting: 1 (published)
Absent: 2 (derived from named list)
Excused: 2 (derived from named list)

House journal. Source snapshot 2026-10-19, Central time.

House Apr 17, 2025

Yea: 96
Nay: 48
Present, not voting: 1
Absent: 5
Excused: 0

Names

Named positions matched to lawmakers. See the journal for unmatched names.

House journal

Sources

Record 293

HB 643 was passed to engrossment by (Record 293): 96 Yeas, 48 Nays, 1 Present, not voting.

Published stock of positions for this vote, except where marked derived.

Yea: 96 (published)
Nay: 48 (published)
Present, not voting: 1 (published)
Absent: 5 (derived from named list)
Excused: 0 (derived from named list)

House journal. Source snapshot 2026-10-19, Central time.

Witnesses5

For: 4
Against: 0
On: 1

Names

For

AGC-Texas Building Branch1 registration
Associated Builders and Contractors of Texas, Inc.1 registration
Regional Hispanic Contractors Association (RHCA)1 registration
Travis County Commissioners Court1 registration

On

Texas Parks and Wildlife Department1 registration

Sources

5 parsed registrations across the loaded witness lists.

Derived stock of witness registrations. Repeated appearances count separately. Organizations and self-representation appear as printed.

House witness list. Source snapshot 2026-10-20, Central time.

Fiscal

No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

LBB estimate · fiscal note version I · source

Sources

Fiscal note · version I · March 25, 2025

No first-year general revenue figure available here.

LBB published estimates · flow over the stated periods.

Source snapshot 2026-10-19, Central time.

How this was graded

Analysis of text version I by claude-opus-5-5, Oct 20, 2026, against the published rubric.

FILED BEFORE

Filed 2 times: 88R and 89R. Checked against 88R only.

88R HB 857

by Rep. Gervin-Hawkins, same lead author · Died in committee · same text

Introduced text

Last action, Apr 19, 2023: Left pending in committee

Relating to the requirement for payment bonds from certain public work contractors.

Caption, 88R bill history

Sources

Texas House · Filed Nov 12, 2024

04/22/2025 S Received from the House

Texas Legislature Online · Introduced · House Committee Report · Engrossed

Data snapshot Oct 26, 2026 at 4:20 AM CDT. Grades, charges, quotes and corrections follow the published record.

House committee · Delivery of Government Efficiency · Committee vote 8 aye, 4 nay, 1 absent · Out of committee

Subjects

Purchasing--State

State Agencies, Boards & Commissions

BONDS

CONTRACTORS & SUBCONTRACTORS

Text

The text as introduced · 268 words

89R3634 LRM-F

By: Gervin-Hawkins
H.B. No. 643

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the requirement for payment bonds from certain public

work contractors.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

SECTION 1. Section 2253.021(a), Government Code, is amended

to read as follows:

(a) A governmental entity that makes a public work contract

with a prime contractor shall require the contractor, before

beginning the work, to execute to the governmental entity:

(1) a performance bond if the contract is in excess of

$100,000; and

(2) a payment bond if:

(A) the contract is in excess of $100,000

[ $25,000 ], and the governmental entity is not a municipality or a

joint board created under Subchapter D, Chapter 22, Transportation

Code; or

(B) the contract is in excess of $50,000, and the

governmental entity is a municipality or a joint board created

under Subchapter D, Chapter 22, Transportation Code.

SECTION 2. (a) The changes in law made by this Act apply

only to a public work contract for which a governmental entity first

advertises or otherwise requests bids, proposals, offers, or

qualifications, or makes a similar solicitation, on or after the

effective date of this Act.

(b) A public work contract for which a governmental entity

first advertises or otherwise requests bids, proposals, offers, or

qualifications, or makes a similar solicitation, before the

effective date of this Act is governed by the law as it existed

immediately before the effective date of this Act, and that law is

continued in effect for that purpose.

SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.

Verdict: No flags

The receipt

SOLD BY

ITEM

WHAT IT DOES

CHARGES

TOTAL

HISTORY

SIGNED FOR BY

Donors

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC

Texas Sands PAC

Legacy 44

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC

Texas Sands PAC

Legacy 44

House Apr 17, 2025

House Apr 17, 2025

For

On

88R HB 857